Hi-Rez Highway: REVIEW: Musica Pristina Virtuoso DAC Processors by RafaelDob

Model:	Virtuoso
Category:	DAC Processors
Suggested Retail Price:	$3995
Description:	Music Server (Network Player)
Manufacturer URL:	Musica Pristina
Model Picture:	View

Review by RafaelDob on January 10, 2013 at 10:24:38
IP Address: 71.230.136.112 Add Your Review
for the Virtuoso

Musica Pristina Virtuoso
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I’ve had the great pleasure of living for about two months now with Musica Pristina’s superb Virtuoso music server. It’s time to offer some comments, I believe. I enjoy mostly symphonic and operatic music as well as some rock, blues and jazz. I have a large open room, and I require my system to provide very large dynamic swings, as well as play cello solo and in concertos(I am the cellist).

The Musica Pristina’s Virtuoso is one of the most musical pieces of audio equipment I have ever owned. It has pace and attack that few can match, let alone even compete with. It excels in clarity, transparency and depth of sound stage. In short the music just flows mesmerizing from the Virtuoso. It is amazing how soon one gets lost in the music and forget the system itself. The Musica Pristina Virtuoso can be listen to for hours on end, there is absolutely no listener fatique whatsoever and that wonderful sonic signature just keeps delivering the music. Regardless of the music you listen to, Virtuoso will retrieve the signal and give you a performance that just cannot be matched.

I brought Virtuoso to a few of my friends systems and we tested it there as well. Immediately, the sound from our familiar records surrounded us with a “rightness” and musically natural impact we’d never experienced before. Not in the homes of our friends with good sound systems, not in our home, not in any deal show room. This experience was about delicacy, grace and nuance, the capturing of subtle harmonic overtones, the capturing of the flow of the music, and, where appropriate, the demonstration of all of the power contained in a symphonic orchestra playing for all it is worth. The soundstage was solid, layered and dimensional. Instruments were focused, tangible, with body, weight and texture. Most of front ends (digital, LP, and reel-to-rell tapes) we’ve ever heard have tended to compress and congeal the sound at some point. At this point, the ability to differentiate the instruments, to differentiate the various musical lines, gets lost as the sound becomes congested. Not so with Virtuoso. Same music played from my “CD Transport” (part of $21k SACD Player/DAC) is clearly inferior then played from this music server!

Navigation: much, much easier (yet much more flexible when needed) than any other server I have tried (Music Vault and CAP 2.0).

Support is exceptional: seven days a week! Kevin is true computer professional (does everything remotely!) and Simon is great with integration and particularly with optimization. I love the fact that company is constant state of R&D and constant importation of new software into my server.

Associated Equipment - Analog: Walker Proscenium turntable. Digital: Esoteric K-01 SACD Player/USB DAC. Amplification: Joule-Electra LA-300 Platinum & Spectron Musician III Mk2 w/all upgardes monoblocks power amps. Speakers: B&W802 Diamond. Power Conditioner – Audience aR12-TSS. Cables mostly by Purist Audio. Vibration control by Still Points ULTRA 5 & ULTRA SS

Highest Recommendation !

Product Weakness:	I can't find, sorry
Product Strengths:	Musicality

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Spectron Musician III Mk2 w/all upgardes monoblocks power amps
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Joule-Electra LA-300 Platinum
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Esoteric K-01 SACD Player/USB DAC & Walker Proscenium turntable
Speakers: B&W802 Diamond
Cables/Interconnects: Purist Audio Design
Music Used (Genre/Selections): classical, jazz, blues
Room Size (LxWxH): 22 x 16 x 10
Room Comments/Treatments: Cathedral
Time Period/Length of Audition: two months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Audience aR12-TSS
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition): see above

Amplifier:	Spectron Musician III Mk2 w/all upgardes monoblocks power amps
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Joule-Electra LA-300 Platinum
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Esoteric K-01 SACD Player/USB DAC & Walker Proscenium turntable
Speakers:	B&W802 Diamond
Cables/Interconnects:	Purist Audio Design
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	classical, jazz, blues
Room Size (LxWxH):	22 x 16 x 10
Room Comments/Treatments:	Cathedral
Time Period/Length of Audition:	two months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Audience aR12-TSS
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner
Your System (if other than home audition):	see above